writing

“Once upon a midnight dreary” begins “The Raven,” setting the mood for one of the most recognizable poems written in English.

‘Severance’ author Ling Ma is a 2024 MacArthur Fellow; here are some other famous authors who were awarded the grants.

Looks like she's reading a novel, not a novella.

As Stephen King once said, novellas are “too long to be short and too short to be really long.”

Washington Irving, the Knicks' biggest fan.

‘Knickerbocker’ has many meanings. Without Washington Irving, it would likely only have one.

Put your spelling skills to the test.

The Song of Fire and Ice author voices his concerns about AI.

George R. R. Martin has a lot to say about the rise of AI in the arts.

Just a few punctuation marks that don’t get nearly enough usage.

Because sometimes, periods, commas, colons, semi-colons, dashes, hyphens, apostrophes, question marks, exclamation points, quotation marks, brackets, parentheses, braces, and ellipses won't do.

The first edition of ‘Black Beauty,’ published 1877.

Anna Sewell’s 19th-century novel about a horse named Black Beauty put the spotlight on animal welfare.

Authors like Dorothy Allison, David Wojnarowicz, and T Kira Madden have made tremendous contributions to literature.

Celebrate the many contributions to literature that LGBTQ+ authors have made with these great reads by Danez Smith, Dorothy Allison, Alexander Chee, Alice Walker, and more.

“All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor.”

The poem “The Rainbow Bridge” has long comforted animal lovers who are mourning a pet. But for decades, its author remained a mystery.

After journaling your feelings, try shredding them.

Instead of anger management classes, all you may need is a pen, some paper, and a trash can.

When “Midnight’s Children” was released in 1981, The New York Times pronounced that “the literary map of India is about to be redrawn.” Here’s what you should know about the novel that introduced the authorial voice of Salman Rushdie.

The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, California.

When readers failed to warm to a new 'Peanuts' character, Charles Schulz erased her. Permanently.

The cover of Louisa May Alcott’s ‘Little Women.’

“Little Women” is one of the world's most beloved novels—but Louisa May Alcott only wrote it to help her father get a publishing contract.

The abbreviations are widely understood as “morning” and “afternoon,” but what do the Latin translations actually mean?

Stephen King owes his career to the support of his wife, Tabitha.

Take a look back at the surprising origins of “Carrie,” Stephen King’s first book—and more importantly, discover how his wife Tabitha King played a pivotal role in its creation.

Illustration of William Shakespeare Reciting Hamlet to His Family

A fascinating new discovery has emerged about a pamphlet found in the rafters of William Shakespeare’s childhood home.

Some languages capitalize several of their pronouns. Some don’t capitalize any of them. English just capitalizes ‘I’—but why?

This background isn't a real cipher (as far as we know).

‘Codebreaking: A Practical Guide’ can teach a beginner how to break into codebreaking (and an expert how to up their game).

Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor on the set of 'The Sandpiper' (1965).

These famous couples (and some lesser famous ones) didn’t mince words in their breakup letters.

He inspired a lot more than just Burns Night.

Burns Night isn't the only thing named after Robert Burns. Streets, towns, and monuments throughout the world were christened in his honor.

Emojis transcend language in a way that 'lmao' can't.

Maybe you already know the meaning of 'jajaja.' But what about all these other expressions of online laughter?

Nabokov’s controversial 1955 novel, which was rejected by multiple American publishers, features multiple allusions to Edgar Allan Poe and references a real-life kidnapping.

For two decades, the original copy of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic speech was stashed inside a Harry Truman biography for safekeeping.

9 Facts About Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”

5 Famous Authors Who Were Awarded MacArthur “Genius” Grants

Novella vs. Short Story: What’s the Difference?

The Disappearance of Diedrich Knickerbocker: How Washington Irving’s Clever Hoax Named the New York Knicks

Can You Choose the Correct Version of these Commonly Misspelled Words?

George R.R. Martin Shares His Stance on AI Amid Author’s Guild Lawsuit

13 Little-Known Punctuation Marks We Should Be Using

How ‘Black Beauty’ Changed the World For Horses

26 Amazing Books by LGBTQ+ Authors You Should Add to Your Bookshelf

“The Rainbow Bridge”: The Emotional—and Once-Lost—History of the Popular Pet Memorial Poem

Having Anger Issues? Try “Shredding” Your Feelings

10 Fascinating Facts About Salman Rushdie’s ‘Midnight’s Children’

Charlotte Braun, the ‘Peanuts’ Character Who Met a Gruesome End

11 Fascinating Facts About Louisa May Alcott’s ‘Little Women’

What Do A.M. and P.M. Stand For?

How Stephen King’s Wife Saved ‘Carrie’ and Helped Launch His Career

William Shakespeare’s Sister, Joan, Emerges in Long-Lost Writings

Why Do We Capitalize ‘I’?

5 Beginner’s Codebreaking Tips From ‘Codebreaking: A Practical Guide’

9 Unforgettable Breakup Letters From History

8 Things Named After Scottish Poet Robert Burns

From ‘DWL’ to ‘MDR’: See How People Laugh Online in 46 Different Languages

12 Fascinating Facts about Vladimir Nabokov’s ‘Lolita’

What Happened to the Physical Copy of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech?